The Monster Next Door
by Hellion5Angel4
Summary: Dominick 'Sonny' Carisi moves from his old place in to a new apartment. When he gets there, he finds a woman who will change everything for him. The only question, can he convince her to save herself? Carisi/OFC rated M possibly MA at some point.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm working on updating my other stories as well as this one. But due to the lack of fiction for this character, I wanted to start on this one sooner rather than later.**

**If you have any suggestions for my other stories, please message me and let me know what you've got in mind. I love opinions and ideas and I'll hear you out.**

**This is a Law and Order: SVU fic, I own nothing from this show. Not the characters, the plots, or anything else to do with the show. The only thing I own is my original character. My ideas are my own, and that's about it.**

**I know Bella hasn't had her baby yet, but I'm writing it like she has.**

Times were changing. Everything was new for Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr. A newer position with the SVU department, a new niece, and finally, a new apartment. After a week of moving his stuff after his shifts, the last box was in his arms and on the way up. Unfortunately, this was a larger box, and just awkward in the size. Dominick struggled to open the door to the building for a moment, before it swung open and a beautiful brunette woman stepped out. "Oh, sorry." They stared at each other for a minute. "You got this big old box?" He halfheartedly chucked, "Yeah. Barely. It's the last one I've got to move in, fortunately." She smiled and nodded her head. "Well, I'm Melanie Davis. I live on the third floor."

"Dominick Carisi. I'm on the fourth." She stepped to the side and held the door open for him, allowing him in. "I'd shake your hand, but they both seem full. I'll see you around Dominick Carisi." The door shut behind him as he watched her walk away from the building. He carefully made his way up the staircase and to his door. He set the box on the coffee table and sighed, knowing that now that everything was up, there was the whole process of unpacking.

The next morning, Rollins, Carisi, Tutuola, and Benson filed in, seeing Amaro already at his desk. "Don't get comfortable. We've got a call for a domestic. Repeat offender. Regular officers are too busy to take it." Benson nodded her head. "Okay. Uh, Rollins, Carisi, go check it out." They turned around and headed right back out the way they came. The ride over was short, and Carisi was surprised to find they were parked outside of his new apartment building. He didn't say anything, silently following Rollins up the stairs to the third floor. A sinking feeling set up in the pit of his stomach. But he quickly tamed it. There was no way he'd run in to Melanie again. Not for this call. There were plenty of other apartments on the third floor. They stopped at a door numbered 304; Rollins was the one to knock. The door opened and as he mentally kicked himself and cursed his luck, there stood the beautiful brunette woman from earlier, only this time, she had the beginnings of a bruise around her eye and a cut on her lip. "I'm Detective Rollins, this is Detective Carisi. We were called here on a domestic assault." The brown haired woman slinked out of the door and pulled it partially closed behind her. "Everything is fine. We don't need the po-" She stopped midsentence upon seeing her neighbor.

"Ma'am, it doesn't look like everything is fine to me. If there's someone inside, and they've done something to you, we can keep you safe, take care of you, get you out of here." She heard every word he had said, and desperately wanted to take advantage of it. But she knew if she did, Jason would do something drastic and wind up guilting her back in to his life again somehow. "I'm fine. Everything is okay, I was trying to get a box off of a shelf and it came tumbling down on me. A couple dishes broke and my boyfriend got upset. It's not a big deal." Dominick drowned out Amanda talking to the woman and took one of his business cards and wrote his apartment number on the back of it.

"Really, I don't think this is necessary. It's not a big deal." Dominick stepped in ans extended his card to her. "Well, if you need anything, you give us a call and we'll be here." He gave a small nod for emphasis. She sheepishly took the card, almost feeling as if she was admitting there was a problem, and shoved it in to her back pocket. They turned around and headed for the car, and back to the precinct. "Rollins, you really can't expect me to believe that there's nothing going on between them. She looked like her face met a meat tenderizer." The blonde sighed, "I know. But unless she wants to do something about it, there is absolutely nothing we can do to help her." This frustrated him, but he knew she was right.

The rest of the day went by slowly, which was a blessing, meaning there was no one getting raped that day. The rest of the day went by quickly, and Benson dismissed everyone early, giving Carisi time to stop and grab some takeout for dinner. He buzzed himself into the building and climbed the stairs to his floor. The hallways were old and decrepit looking, but the actual apartments were nothing like that. They were nice; fresh paint, air conditioning, hardwood floors that were still shining from the last time they had been waxed. Boxes still sat everywhere around the rooms, having yet to be unpacked from the move. Dominick sat down on the couch, turning on the television, and opening his dinner on the coffee table. He glanced longingly at the breakfast bar. Two stools were sitting there, waiting for someone to sit upon them and enjoy a meal. And he would have, if the boxes weren't piled on the counter top, too. He barely paid attention to the episode of Family Guy that was on as he scarfed down the noodles and chicken. He sat the container back on the table and leaned back, settling in to the couch. The clock read 11:08, and the city outside was starting to settle down for the night.

He cut the tv off and stood up, loosening his tie and pulling it from the collar of his shirt. He started to unbutton the buttons and untucked it when there was a knock at the door. He stopped dead in his tracks and pulled his gun out of its holster, turning the safety off. "Who is it?" There was a tense moment of silence before a feminine voice came back. "Melanie. From downstairs." He slipped the gun back in its place and unchained and unlocked the door, opening it. He stared at the beautiful woman, a small hint of anger building in his gut when he saw her face again, "Hey." She took a few steps forward and waited for him to step to the side. She walked inside and smiled at his place as he shut the door behind them. "This is nicer than our place downstairs. Fresh paint, and that dingy carpet got ripped up." He walked in front of her and rested his hand on his hip. "I don't think you came up here to share Home &amp; Garden secrets." She sighed and walked to the couch, sitting down, cupping her face in her hands.

"I just don't know what to do." He walked over and sat down beside her, not touching her, but letting her know that he was here for her; to help her. "I know it's gotta be confusing, but this isn't love, what you and him have. I see it, and I know you do, too. The question is, why aren't you packing your bags and running? Or why not let me and my partner help you?" She felt a small flurry of anger begin to rise as she looked to him. "I have tried. Seven years. It wasn't bad at first. He was everything I wanted. But then after I told him I was pregnant, it's like some sort of switch flipped in him." Carisi leaned back on the couch, not letting his eyes break away from hers. "And that's when the abuse started?" She nodded her head, her eyes dropping away from his and rewinding back in to a dark plagued memory. "It was nothing at first, just a little smack fight. Then it got from that to punches. And twice ago when he did it, he killed our child. I was still pregnant, and crying and screaming as he was beating me, and he didn't want to get in trouble, so he covered my mouth and my nose. I passed out. When I woke up at the hospital, the baby was gone. He had continued beating the shit out of me after I passed out and only called the police when he saw the blood. I threatened to leave him then, he attempted suicide. Then charmed his way back in. He is the most manipulative person I've ever met."

The anger was the hardest part of working in special victims. Carisi had problems with being laid back and not letting things like this bother him and get him heated. "You want a beer?" Her eyes locked with his again. "Sure." He stood and walked in to the kitchen moving the boxes off the breakfast bar. "Have a seat." He opened the fridge and saw he only had angry orchard. "I take that back. I've only got the apple ale stuff." She sat down on one of the stools and leaned on her arms. "Even better." He pulled two from the fridge and popped both open, handing her one. "So if this thing is so bad, how can you be up here now?" She took a drink from the bottle and set it on the counter. "Uh, he's actually a bartender. So he went in at 10:30. I just waited a half hour to make sure he didn't come back for anything." Carisi found a deck of cards in his drawer and held them up. "You know how to play Rummy?" She smiled and raised her bottle. "Let's go."

Two hours later, they had gone through a six pack of Angry Orchard, 9 games of rummy, and she had won almost every single one. She looked at the clock as she finished her last drink and stood up. "I've gotta go." Carisi had been sitting on the floor across from her, and he rested his arm on his knee. "Oh, come on. You've kicked my ass. I don't get a chance to redeem myself?" She smiled and shook her head. "Nope, sorry. He..gets home at 3. And being that it's two thirty, I don't want to tempt fate." His smile faded and he nodded, standing up. They walked to the door together and he stopped he from opening the door. "I want you to just listen right now. It's not your responsibility to make sure he stays alive. If he takes his own life, it's his own damn fault. You're too good to take that bullshit. You deserve a man, not a little boy playing at being a man. You deserve good things. Not this bullshit." Their eyes were locked, and the three drinks were impacting her judgement a bit. She snapped out of any ideas, she was, if nothing, loyal. "I've really gotta go, Dominick." She pulled the door open an inch, his hand pushed it back closed. "Just promise me you'll think about it. I'm not saying you need to be with me, or that you have to decide tonight. But I want you to at least think about it." She ducked under his arm, "I will. I'll think about it." Only then did he open the door and watched her down the stairs, around the corner of the steps and in to her apartment. He shut and locked his door, stripping off the rest of his clothes and headed for the shower.

They continued this way for months. 11, she would come up, they would eat, drink a little, talk, and play cards, then she would hurry home. They were friends. Halloween was tomorrow, and Gina, Theresa, and Bella were dressing up the kids and taking them around. But when they had called, he was shocked. "Sonny, we're bringing the kids to go around at your apartment." There was no further discussion when it came to the sisters. He dreaded going to Melanie's place, but it was either that, or face the family. It was going to be a long night.

**So that's Chapter 1. I know I kinda flew through it. I'm sorry about that I just have a tendency to get excited about my ideas and I'm so upset there's no Carisi fanfiction on here that I feel like it's my public duty to get some out ASAP. So R&amp;R and let me know. :-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm trying to get my head together. I just started a new job, having to deal with a deadbeat ex husband, my life is a mess. So I'll ignore the mess and I'll update my fantasy. :)**

**Glad you are liking it, readers. **

**I own nothing from Law and Order SVU. Not the characters, the story lines, or anything. I own my character and that's about it.**

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After a hellacious case like that, Carisi decided he was going to head to the bar right around the corner from his apartment and have a drink before he settled in for the night. He walked through the crowd, sliding past a fairy, a slutty Snow White, and a French Main, and found a small chair at the bar. Everyone was in costume for a night of drinking without showing their actual faces. There was a small band playing, the woman singing with a gravely voice threw him for a loop. He ordered a shot of whiskey and waited for the barkeep to bring it back to him. A piano solo played for a moment as his glass was set down on the counter. He picked it up and threw back about half, replacing the glass on the wood. It had been weeks since he had seen Melanie. Her visits suddenly stopped. When they passed in the hall, she walked right past him like he didn't exist. He knew she was getting pushed further and further down the rabbit hole. He was keeping her locked up. He finished his shot and ordered another. He had really grown to care for her and worried about her. A guy from the band took the stage as a crappy cover of Is this Love by Whitesnake started playing.

He drank half his shot again, feeling the burn in his throat. Life wasn't fair. But here he was, almost wanting to be mad a Melanie for staying with Jason. But she was the victim, not the abuser. Two shots later, he was starting to feel the alcohol in his system take affect. He looked down the bar and saw a guy standing behind the bar staring at him. Paying no attention, he finished the last whiskey of the night when a pat came on his right arm. He looked over and saw a girl dressed like a slutty nurse. It was Melanie. "What are you doing here?" he asked. She looked around and shrugged, "It's a Halloween Party, right?" He sighed and stood up. "Yeah. Some party." He looked her up and down before sliding $40 on the counter, then slipped past her and headed out the front door. Much to his surprise, she followed him, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards her. "Would you stop? What's wrong with you, Dominic? Talk to me." All her words came in a rush, and hit him like ice water. "You're still with that ass. You promised me you would think about it, and obviously ya didn't." Her hand fell away from his arm to her side. "I don't have to explain myself to you." It was almost a slap in his face; she might as well have told him it was none of his business. "Well, that's fine, Melanie. You don't have to explain yourself. I am just a friend who cares, but you've got plenty of those, don't you?"

He turned around and walked down the sidewalk heading for his apartment. Tomorrow was Sunday, and there wasn't anything to do. He was off of work, hadn't make any plans with his family. Drinking more sounded like a good idea. He climbed the steps and opened his door, slamming it closed from frustration. Fucking women, making a man feel great, then like shit all within a five minute span of time. It was giving him whiplash. He poured a tall glass full of jagermeister and drank half in four gulps. The usual evening in; taking his tie off, untucking and unbuttoning his shirt, leaving them on the floor to pick up tomorrow. He planted himself on the couch and turned on Nightmare on Elm Street, sipping on his jager as he watched Freddy terrorize the teens. His eyes grew heavy, Freddy came and went and Freddy vs. Jason was just going off when he let his head lay back on the back of the couch. When he lifted his head later, it was 3:48. He sighed and cut the TV off, setting his glass on the coffee table. He'd get it all tomorrow. He walked towards the door to chain it and lock it for the night when he heard the obnoxious, loud voice. He quietly turned the door knob and pulled his door open, just enough to listen. "-fucking around with that damn cop?! I thought we covered this. You. Are. Mine." He heard her, whimper and her breathing jerking all around. He stepped in to the hall and started down the stairs, praying they didn't creak and reveal him. That's when he saw Jason with Melanie pinned against the wall. One hand was around her throat and the other had a fistfull of her hair, pulling it tight.

"Melanie, I love you, baby. You know you make me do this. I can't have my old lady making me look like a punk in front of anyone. And you were doing so good, too." Dominic was too slow, and only watched in horror as Jason let go of her hair and hauled back with his fist, hitting her across the face. He hadn't expected Jason to do anything like that right in the hall. As if the fist hadn't been horrific enough, he watched as Melanie was slung over and down the stairs she went, Jason coming after. She landed with a groan and didn't move for a minute, which was long enough for Jason to catch up and give her a hard kick to her ribs. Dominic jumped in to action and flew down the stairs, drawing his gun, "That's enough!" Jason's head jerked up and he locked eyes with Dominic. Carisi circled around Jason, gun still aimed, and knelt down by Melanie. "Come on, Mel. Get up." She looked pitiful in her costume; which was now ripped and slightly bloody. He let his free arm down to her, and she grabbed it as he pulled her up to her feet. "Now, Jason, you're going to go back to your apartment, and go to bed. And Melanie is going to stay the night with me. And we can have a calm discussion about this in the morning." He led them up the first stairwell and up the next to his door. He quickly let her in first, then shut the door behind him, locking the bolts and sliding the chain in the holder.

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**I know this was short, and I'm so sorry! I just started a new job today and I've got to be there at 8:30 tomorrow morning. This was all I could get out in that time. I've tried to slow it down and get back in to a solid chunk of a story. I'll try to post more tomorrow. I'm super excited that I've got people who are reading, favoriting, and replying. Thank you guys! R&amp;R!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm so sorry everyone! I haven't forgotten any of you who are following or reading this story. I got caught up in my new job, which I love! and I was in a relationship for a few months. But that didn't work either. Again, I apologize for the lack of updates. But I'm back with another update and I hope yall read it and enjoy it.**

**I don't own Law and Order, Law and Order SVU, I don't own the characters, the city of new york, or anything else in this story. It's all taken for personal inspiration and pleasure to write a story.**

They closed the door and she sat down on the couch. Dominick noticed the state of her costume and disappeared in to the bedroom, returning with a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt for her to wear. He sat down on the couch beside her. "You okay?" She made no sound or move to answer. "Look, I'm sorry if you didn't want me to intervene, but I cant sit by while a man is hitting a woman. What happened Mel? I thought we had gotten close to ending this all for you." She looked at him, anger in her eyes. "Well it all sounded fine and dandy in Candyland, but you aren't the one who has to go home and deal with the aftermath. You don't have to deal with the slaps, the name calling." He moved closer and put his arm around her, "Mel, I'm sorr-" She jerked away from his touch. "You're sorry? That's not the worst part of it all. But it's my decision. It's my fault." Dominick felt like crap. Not a few hours ago, he had thought the exact same thing. "Mel, you've just got to think. You say that you love him, but if he really loved you back...would he do this?"

She stood up and removed the fake nurse cap from her head. She stepped out of the blank white heels, tore off the white sheen of pantyhose, stepping her bare feet on the carpet. Dominick watched every move she made, but didn't make a sound. She unzipped the tattered and stained costume and let it fall to a puddle at her feet; leaving her in her bra and underwear. She reached up and unpinned her hair, letting it cascade around her shoulders. Dominick felt rage, anger, and sickness as he took in her battered body. It was splattered with purple, blue, and yellow bruises stretching from her legs, her stomach and chest to her arms, neck, and face. "Dominick that's the thing about love. You're supposed to stay through the good and the bad times. No matter what."

He grabbed the quilt on the back of the couch and walked over to her, covering her up, and pulling her in to a hug. "If you're this invested in a relationship that isn't good for you, then the real thing is going to be intense." He stepped back and grabbed the clothes he had picked out for her. "Come on," She handed him the quilt and walked in to the bathroom, taking the clothes with her. Carisi slipped out of his suit and in to a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt as she walked in the room. No words were spoken as they climbed in to bed next to each other. He laid down on his back and turned to see her on her stomach, resting her head on her folded arms. They watched each other, getting lost in the silence of the moment. A thousand thoughts were racing through his head; how does it make sense to stay? Why expose yourself to beatings, constantly walking on egg shells, afraid to say anything, afraid to do anything, and she still calls it love. More like brain washing. Stockholm syndrome. When his thoughts looped back to her, he noticed her eyes were closed and her breaths were slow and steady. She had fallen asleep. He gently reached over with his right hand and brushed some stray hairs from her face. He watched her face and drifted out for a little while, but the feeling of her moving woke him. His eyes never opened, but he felt her warmth at his side. Her arm was draped across his stomach, and her head rested on his shoulder. His mouth drew in to a small smile as he drifted back to sleep.

It was around 11:30 when the banging on his front door woke him. He looked back at her, eyes wide open, startled awake, and her hair a mess. "Stay here, Mel." She nodded. He turned back around and started for the front door, grabbing his gun off the kitchen table. He held it ready as he approached the door, hearing another set of bangs. He took a deep breath and opened it quickly to reveal his Sergeant and Rollins. "Woah, where's the threat, Carisi?" He took a step out in the hall and looked around, not seeing Jason anywhere. "Sorry, Sarge. What's going on?" The women looked at each other, then back to the man before them. "Liv and I were a little worried. We were calling you like crazy. But you just kind of disappeared last night. We just wanted to be sure you were okay." He sat his gun on the table beside the door and stepped in to the hall, pulling the door up behind him. "I had a crazy night last night. My neighbor downstairs, that domestic we got called to, she and I have been spending time together lately. I've been trying to talk her in to leaving this guy, but she just keeps staying "for love".' The three had lowered their voices, Olivia with her wisdom from the years, spoke first, "Carisi, there's nothing you _can_ say. Domestic abuse victims don't even know there is a problem. Usually, that's the love of their life. And they would do, or say anything to stay with them." Carisi cradled his head; still aching from the drinking the previous night. "Guys, I get what you're saying, but there's times I think I'm really getting through to her. Moments of clarity when, I think, she sees it for what it is."

Rollins sighed, "Dominick, I understand. We both do. You care. But I just really think it's going to be hard to get her to completely agree to leave him. Especially if it's his apartment. She'd be out on the street." He folded his arms and leaned against the door frame, "I'd take her in, if it came to that. I just don't want to give up and something awful happen to her."

She felt his hand move over her forehead; soft and gentle and nothing like she was used to with Jason. And she liked it. He had fallen asleep, but she desperately wanted to be held. So she scooted closer to him and let her arm rest over his stomach, hoping she hadn't moved too much. She inhaled his cologne and drifted off to sleep, feeling safe for the first time in a long time. _*Bang Bang Bang* _She shot up as he bolted out of the bed. He turned around looking at her and told her to stay put. A million thoughts ran through her mind. The first, Jason. She saw his gun out before him as he opened the door and heard two women talking. He put the gun down and stepped out, pulling the door to a crack behind him. She crept out of the bed and carefully walked over to the opening, listening to the conversation. It was his apartment. And there wasn't anywhere else for her to go. She didn't make enough at the blood bank to support an entire apartment, utilities, Jason always said she was lucky to have him. That's when Dominick said something that filled her stomach with butterflies, "I'd take her in, if it came to that." But would he, really? She walked back to the couch and sat down, thinking thoughts faster than the speed of light. _Leave him, you can do better. Dominick said he would take you in. Run. Run, girl. RUN. _She jumped to her feet and as she headed for the door, she bumped in to him, shutting the door behind him. She threw her arms around him and felt the tears burning her eyes.

He wrapped his arms around her and carefully picked her up, carrying her back to the bedroom, and laying them both down. He cradled her to his chest and let her get it out. When the sobs died down to sniffles, he tucked her hair behind her ear and slid down to get eye level with her on the pillows. "Hey." She took a deep breath and let it out. "Hey." He licked his lips and sighed, "So what's going on in that beautiful mind? Huh? ...What are you thinking?" She wiped at her eyes, removing makeup and tears. "W-would you really take me in?" Their breathing was the only sound for a few moments. He licked his lips and his eyes met hers, "Is that why you won't leave him?" She sighed, if there was ever a time to grow a pair and stand up, it was now. She knew it. She had known it all along that they weren't meant to be. "I don't have anywhere to go. My job won't really support me by myself and I don't know what I'm doing. I've been in this vicious cycle for years, Dominick. Years, and this is all I have known. I don't have anything, I have nobody, and I don-" He smiled at her and sighed, "But you do have someone. You've got me. And if you need help to get out of this, I will help you."

**So I know it's not that long, and it's probably not very good, but ya know. I would write more, but The Walking Dead is getting ready to come on and I need to know if Glenn is alive or dead! Please R&amp;R and let me know what you think!**


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